Visiting Easter Island (Land-Based)

Town of Hanga Roa

The moai on Ahu Tautira, which is directly in front of the small boat harbor at Hanga Roa. In the background is the peninsula with the Armada de Chile compound. By the way, the next few web pages have all my Hanga Roa pictures for the past seven days; I didn't take them all today.

A closer view of the moai.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 (Day 7 Ashore)

Today is my last full day on Easter Island; I fly out tomorrow morning. I plan to make it a low-key day around town. After the usual delicious and filling breakfast (if a little starchy), I returned to the room to fill out a few postcards. The recipients might not realize it, but they all got the same handwritten message—I was too lazy to come up with different messages.

After that, I hefted my day pack and headed out—oops! I ducked back in; it had just started to rain. It was only a brief shower as an unusually soggy cloud passed over this part of the island. I walked in the general direction of the post office, but I checked out a few souvenir shops along the way. In the shop for the Easter Island Foundation, I bought a colorful ceramic tile with two birdman glyphs and the words "Rapa Nui". This will be my only souvenir, something small I can keep on my boat.

I went into the small post office and bought four postcard stamps. They were only 260 pesos each, a little over 40 cents, not a bad price. The post office had a big grid of alphabetically-arranged cubbyholes with mail piled inside. Perhaps people have to come in to pick up their mail.

The small boat harbor at Hanga Roa.

This is the same moai from the other side. The buildings in the background are restaurants.		A fisherman's shrine, facing the sea adjacent to the small boat harbor.